Calculating Heart Rates

[helened]

Hi Cathe and Cathletes,

I was wondering about heart rates and would appreciate your opinion on this. Hopefully I didn't miss this somewhere else.

Frequently I see my HR monitor telling me I am working really hard (above 90% for the maximum and mid 80% average for the entire workout). I know there are different methods of calculating HR such as Karvonen which would make it seem a little more "reasonable". Is there such a thing as pushing it too hard in an individual workout or is it more about making sure to have balance over a whole week so the body isn't taxed too frequently? My heart rate does go down quickly as soon as the intensity comes down and my resting heart rate is about 60-62. I do take one rest day and sometimes more each week.

Is perceived exercise more important than HR? I do feel fine and enjoy pushing it. Would love your take on this.

Sorry about all the questions, just been wondering about this for a while.

 

[hokypoky]

Bumping...sounds just like me...

 

[Aquajock]

Hi Cathe and Cathletes,

I was wondering about heart rates and would appreciate your opinion on this. Hopefully I didn't miss this somewhere else.

Frequently I see my HR monitor telling me I am working really hard (above 90% for the maximum and mid 80% average for the entire workout). I know there are different methods of calculating HR such as Karvonen which would make it seem a little more "reasonable". Is there such a thing as pushing it too hard in an individual workout or is it more about making sure to have balance over a whole week so the body isn't taxed too frequently? My heart rate does go down quickly as soon as the intensity comes down and my resting heart rate is about 60-62. I do take one rest day and sometimes more each week.

Is perceived exercise more important than HR? I do feel fine and enjoy pushing it. Would love your take on this.

Sorry about all the questions, just been wondering about this for a while.

I personally think HR monitors are grossly overrated in terms of their accuracy and in terms of the value of the information they provide. Several things can affect one's working heart rate that have nothing to do with how hard or intensely one is working out, including one's level of energy or fatigue at the onset of the workout session, the ambient climate (temperature and humidity levels, one's hydration level, just to name a few). From what I've heard, also, HR monitors do not measure stroke volume (i.e. the AMOUNT of circulatory blood that is being pumped out with each beat) which is the other half of the equation of cardiac output. And, the fact that your heart rate goes down quickly after cessation of the intensity or the workload indicates you're good in terms of fitness level.

For me, perceived exertion AND breathing rate (both speed of breaths and depth of breaths) are at least as important as heart rate, usually more so. The fitness gurus keep screwing around with how to calculate one's individual training zone, so today's golden formula is tomorrow's useless calculation. I vote to shelve the HR monitor for while and simply focus on how YOU feel you are working!

A-Jock

 

[helened]

Thank you Annette for your words of wisdom

I've had a feeling for a while that the monitor was becoming an obsession that wasn't leading me anywhere. I hadn't appreciated enough how all the parameters that come in on any given day to impact the workout would of course reflect in the HR as well.

I think you hit the nail on the head. I'll toss it out for a bit and see how I do. Will be nice for a change to not have that strap around my chest. I will continue to strive for that place just beyond comfortable that I like to reach (unless we are talking about 40/20) and continue to try varied intensity workouts, though truth be told, when the intensity is too low I feel like I didn't get a good workout in.

Thanks a lot for your input!

 

[callygrrl]

I have recently stopped using my HR monitor while exercising because I just found it too distracting, and started relying more on perceived exertion while working out. I do not miss it, and I feel more in tuned with how my body reacts when I can push harder or back off on exertion.